1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slider having a locking mechanism for use in an ordinary type slide fastener and more particularly to a slider for slide fastener with locking device in which slider locking function of a leaf spring with a locking pawl is activated by raising or falling a pull.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional slider for slide fastener having such a locking mechanism disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-99107, as shown in FIG. 12, protruded pieces 12xe2x80x2, 17xe2x80x2 are provided on front and rear portions of an upper plate 4xe2x80x2 of a slider body 1xe2x80x2 and a cam portion 27xe2x80x2 provided on a journal of a pull 3xe2x80x2 is mounted between these protruded pieces 12xe2x80x2, 17xe2x80x2 and then, a leaf spring 2xe2x80x2 is disposed on an upper face of the cam portion 27xe2x80x2. The leaf spring 2xe2x80x2 is formed in the shape of a substantially fallen letter U and has a locking pawl 8xe2x80x2 at one end while it has a drooping piece 9xe2x80x2 at the other end. An engaging piece 24xe2x80x2 is provided in a central substrate such that it is inclined therefrom and has an engaging portion 25xe2x80x2 bent from a front end thereof. The leaf spring 2xe2x80x2 has such a configuration that the drooping piece 9xe2x80x2 is mounted on a guide post 6xe2x80x2 of the slider body 1xe2x80x2 and an opening 26xe2x80x2 provided in the vicinity of the locking pawl 8xe2x80x2 is placed on the protruded piece 17xe2x80x2 provided on the rear portion of the upper plate 4xe2x80x2 such that it is capable of moving freely. Then, the engaging portion 25xe2x80x2 of the engaging piece 24xe2x80x2 is placed inside the protruded piece 12xe2x80x2 provided on the front portion of the upper plate 4xe2x80x2. When the pull 3xe2x80x2 is raised, the engaging portion 25xe2x80x2 of the engaging piece 24xe2x80x2 can engage with an engaging portion 13xe2x80x2 in the protruded piece 12xe2x80x2 on the front side portion.
According to Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 59-38884, a pair of pull holding posts are provided protrudedly on the front and rear portions in the center of an upper plate of the body and a journal of a pull is mounted rotatably on the body. A journal of the pull is provided with a cam portion and a leaf spring is placed on the cam portion. The leaf spring is formed in the shape of substantially letter U and has a locking pawl at one end and a drooping portion at the other end. An engaging piece provided at a front end of the drooping portion is engaged with the engaging portion provided in a diamond of the body by snap action and then, a shoulder portion provided in the middle of the leaf spring is fit to a guide surface of a protruded portion on the front portion of the upper plate so that the shoulder portion is capable of swinging along the guide surface.
Because in the slider for slide fastener with locking device shown in FIG. 12 described previously, the leaf spring 2xe2x80x2 is mounted on the guide post 6xe2x80x2 of the slider body 1xe2x80x2 by crimping, a distance between the upper plate 4xe2x80x2 and the lower plate 5xe2x80x2 joined in the form of substantially letter U with respect to the guide post 6xe2x80x2 is enlarged due to deformation of the guide post 6xe2x80x2, so that elements cannot be guided accurately between the upper plate 4xe2x80x2 and the lower plate 5xe2x80x2. Further, the leaf spring 2xe2x80x2 is moved forward of the guide post 6xe2x80x2 at the time of crimping so that the mounting position is deviated. As a result, the locking pawl 8xe2x80x2 comes into a firm contact with the wall face of the pawl hole thereby disabling the locking pawl 8xe2x80x2 from retracting from or advancing to the element guide groove 19xe2x80x2.
Further, because in the slider for slide fastener with locking device according to the Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 59-38884, the shoulder portion of the leaf spring is moved with a circular trace in the vertical direction and back/forth direction along a guide surface accompanied by a rising motion of the pull, the shoulder portion rides over the guide surface when it is moved forward, so that when the pull is fallen, the leaf spring does not follow that motion and is not returned to its original position.
The present invention has been achieved in views of the above described problems and an object of the present invention is to provide a slider for slide fastener with locking device, wherein when mounting a leaf spring with a locking pawl on a slider body, the leaf spring is mounted not by crimping but by just pressing in snap action, thereby maintaining a stabilized condition for a long term and allowing a smooth sliding operation.
Another object of the invention is to provide a slider for slide fastener with locking device, wherein the leaf spring is prevented from floating from the slider body thereby always maintaining a stabilized condition of the leaf spring.
Another object of invention is to provide a slider for slide fastener with locking device, wherein the leaf spring with the locking pawl is mounted by pressing and the configurations of the protruded piece to be provided on the slider body and the engaging tongue piece to be provided in the leaf spring are specified in order to always maintain a stabilized condition of the same slider for a long term, the same slider for slide fastener being allowed to be modified in various types.
Another object of the invention is to provide a slider for slide fastener with locking device which allows the locking pawl of the leaf spring to retract from or advance to an element guide groove smoothly.
To achieve the above described object, according to the invention, there is provided a slider for slide fastener with locking device wherein a hook-like protruded piece is provided on a rear portion of an upper plate of a slider body and a pawl hole is provided in a base portion thereof; a protruded piece or a through hole is provided in a front portion of the upper plate and a contact portion is formed on this protruded piece or through hole to be in contact with an engaging tongue piece of a leaf spring; a concave groove is provided in a front face of a guide post of the slider body and an engaged portion, which is to be engaged with an engaging piece of the leaf spring, is provided in this groove; the leaf spring is formed in the shape of a substantially fallen letter U and includes a locking pawl at one end thereof and a drooping piece at the other end while this drooping piece has an engaging portion to be engaged with the engaged portion in the groove; and the engaging tongue piece is provided in a central substrate such that it is extended therefrom downwardly in a curved state.
With the above structure, a hooking hole is provided in the vicinity of the locking pawl and the hooking hole is engaged with the protruded piece provided on a rear portion of the upper plate freely movably; the engaging portion provided on the drooping piece is engaged with the engaged portion in the groove; the engaging tongue piece of the leaf spring is mounted on the upper plate such that it is always in a sliding contact with the contact portion; and a journal with a cam portion of a pull is disposed between the rear protruded piece and the engaging tongue piece of the leaf spring.
Consequently, instead of mounting the leaf spring on the slider body by crimping, after placing the pull on the slider body, the leaf spring can be mounted easily by just pressing against the slider body. Further, because the engaging tongue piece is always in a press contact with the contact face, the leaf spring can maintain a stabilized condition, thereby ensuring a smooth sliding operation of the slider.
Preferably, the protruded piece is provided in the front portion of the upper plate of the slider body in the form of a hook and an engaging protrusion is provided protrudedly in the center of a distal end of the protruded piece while the distal end of the protruded piece at both sides of the engaging protrusion is formed as the contact portions; a through hole is provided in the engaging tongue piece extended as bent from a central substrate of the leaf spring and the through hole is loosely engaged with the engaging protrusion of the protruded piece so that the surface of the engaging tongue piece is always in a press contact with the contact portion provided in the protruded piece.
Consequently, the protruded piece restricts the leaf spring from floating over the slider body and the engaging tongue piece always maintains a stabilized condition.
Preferably, the protruded piece is provided on the front portion of the upper plate of the slider body and a distal end of the protruded piece or a base portion of the protruded piece is formed as the contact portion so that the engaging tongue piece provided in the leaf spring is always in a press contact with the contact portion.
Also preferably, the through hole is provided in the front portion of the upper plate of the slider body and a wall face of the through hole is formed as the contact portion so that the engaging tongue piece provided in the leaf spring is always in a press contact with the contact portion.
Further preferably, a surface or a front end of the engaging tongue piece provided in the leaf spring is always in a press contact with the contact portion provided on the upper plate of the slider body.
Consequently, in combination of various type contact portions and the engaging tongue piece, the engaging tongue piece of the leaf spring can be always in a press contact with the contact portion provided on the upper plate and can slide. Further, the leaf spring can be mounted in a stabilized condition by a simple process of pressing. As a result, a slider for slide fastener with locking device ensuring an easy operation and excellent durability is produced.
And preferably, the contact portion provided on the upper plate of the slider body is formed with a vertical plane substantially at right angle with respect to a top face of the upper plate.
Consequently, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, the engaging tongue piece never rides over the contact portion, so that the engaging tongue piece can move smoothly and the locking pawl can retract from or advance to the element guide groove in a stabilized condition for a long term. Therefore, the effects which the present invention achieves are conspicuous.